The forestry harvesting sector faces disaster unless a significant number of tree felling, afforestation and road building licences are issued, the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors of Ireland (FCI) has warned.

A number of FCI members have raised concerns around prolonged delays in licences being issued by the Department of Agriculture.

FCI chief executive Michael Moroney said many contractors would be without work from January 2020 and would be forced to cease operations and make skilled workers redundant if licences are not issued.

Licences

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Andrew Doyle was called on by the FCI to immediately issue tree felling licences. Moroney said the delays were often caused by “unwarranted and unsustainable” third party objections.

He said contractors are facing an empty order book in 2020: “The introduction of the forestry third party right of appeal process has had far reaching consequences in terms of delays but has also resulted in significant additional costs.

“In the house planning process in Ireland there are fees for making a submission on a planning application and lodging an appeal. It is unprecedented that similar actions on licensing, felling and road access applications do not attract a fee,” he said.

Objections

FCI recommends introducing a fee of €50 per objection for a period of five years.

“The MacKinnon report has highlighted that in August 2019, only 8% of licences for planting, road building or felling were issued within four months [of applying] and 23% within six months,” said Moroney.

Moroney also noted that such delays pose a significant risk to the approximately €345m investment undertaken by some 750 forestry contractors.

Read more

‘Serial objectors’ cause backlog of forestry felling licences

Overall welcome for MacKinnon review of forestry sector